This application is directed to protective mouthguards for use by athletes to ensure proper placement of the device and jaw alignment, dissipation of detrimental forces during activity, and temporary storage of the mouthguard.
Historically, mouthguard tethering devices consisted of nylon or thermoplastic material that connects the sports guard to the face mask of the helmet. This outdated design is not favored by athletes because it is cumbersome, swings about freely, and places the athlete at risk for head and/or neck injuries when the facemask is incidentally grasped during competition.
Mouthguards are designed to protect the athlete during play by reducing the impact forces to the player during competition. However, failing to wear a mouthguard or wearing an ill fitted device can cause detrimental short term and long term effects such as tooth fracture, tooth avulsion/luxation, condylar and/or mandible fracture, maxillary fracture, jaw fractures, migraines, concussions and TMJ disorders.
Currently, two types of mouthguards exist on the market—custom fit and non-custom fit. Custom fit mouthguards generally provide the best protection for athletes, but are expensive and require a dentist for proper fabrication and fitting. The athlete's molds are made by taking impressions of the maxillary and mandibular teeth. A bite registration is recorded using a wax or elastomeric material. This registers the athlete's jaw position and how the teeth interdigitate. This record is then used to ensure that the upper and lower teeth are properly aligned, and a thermoplastic material is placed over one of the arches to serve as the mouthguard. The prosthesis is then trimmed to ensure proper fit and comfort, and the occlusion is registered by reheating the thermoplastic material to ensure the teeth and condyle are in a protected position. Due to the expense and need for a dental professional to fit custom mouthguards, many athletes do not avail themselves of the added protection and superior performance provided by custom fitting.
So-called “boil and bite” conventional mouthguards are examples of non-custom fit “off the shelf” protective devices widely available on the market. Today's “boil and bite” mouthguards offer little protection to players and are inadequate in various areas including fit, impact strength, proper teeth and jaw positioning, temporary storability, and debonding of the softer layer from the more rigid harder core. Stock mouthguards can be made of rubber, polyvinyl chloride, or a polyvinyl acetate copolymer, and are available in small, medium and large sizes. These conventional mouthguards are not custom molded to fit the individual, and exhibit inadequate support, retention and stability, resulting in common complaints by the user.
Non custom mouthguards such as the “boil and bite” are often ill-fitting and, if not properly seated during the forming phase after heating, can cause injury. One limitation of the “boil and bite” is the inability to provide a uniform thickness around the anterior and posterior teeth for protection. A thickened area of material in one area can cause distortion when cooled, and can become very thin areas in others. These thin areas can lead to inadequate thickness for protection and resulting injury.
Another problem with conventional “boil and bites” is the inability of the user to ensure proper placement of the guard and proper positioning of the jaw during fabrication and fitting. By placing the tray too far anteriorly, posteriorly, or laterally, the teeth are not adequately protected because the guard becomes offset. This creates a bulk of material or thinning of material which may lead to distortion or inadequate protection. Improper seating of the mouthguard during setting can also cause the material to be bulky and more importantly, can lead to improper positioning of the jaw. This may result in harmful effects in the temporal mandibular complex.
Other problems exist in conventional mouthpiece designs. For example, the athlete has no adequate place for storage when the device is temporarily removed during activity. In football, for example, the athlete's mouth guard is sometimes tethered to the helmet via the facemask. This common method of storage results in the mouthguard dangling from the player's helmet. This is often unfavorable to the athletes, and more players are simply holding the mouth guard in their hand or wedging it in the facemask. By wedging the mouth guard, the guard becomes distorted which, in turn, effects the fit and protection. By simply holding the guard, it becomes cumbersome and is often lost or dropped. When dropped, the athlete's mouthguard is soiled with dirt and other harmful bacteria which can lead to numerous problems, including health issues. Another reason athletes find the conventional tethering system unfavorable is that it limits their range of motion as they move their heads in different positions. This conventional tethering of the jaw to the helmet can also cause injury when another player grabs the helmet and the head/neck and jaw is abruptly malpositioned. Conventional approaches do not provide a convenient, safe means of affixing a mouth guard to a player's equipment for storage.
What is needed is a mouthguard that can be easily fitted without the assistance of a dentist, while providing superior protection beyond that available from conventional “boil and bites”. What is further needed is a mouthguard that lowers the risk of severe injury during activity, allows for the proper placement and alignment of the teeth and jaw structures, and which offers safety and sanitization during periods of non-use. What is also needed is an easy and reliable mouthguard storage mechanism that reduces opportunities for contamination or loss during periods of non-use.